


Mementos of Yesteryear

by InvisibleRaven



Category: Julie and The Phantoms (TV)
Genre: No beta we die like Sunset Curve
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-15 04:21:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,039
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29430204
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InvisibleRaven/pseuds/InvisibleRaven
Summary: The origins of the pieces most important to the boys.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 31





	Mementos of Yesteryear

**Author's Note:**

  * For [CoffeeAddict80](https://archiveofourown.org/users/CoffeeAddict80/gifts).



> So um, hi? This is my first JatP fic, and I hope you enjoy it. I recently binged the whole series and kind of haven't stopped watching it/listening to the music since. I don't know if I'll write more in this fandom or not, but this was stuck in my head and wouldn't leave me alone until I got it out. 
> 
> For Kiwi, who got me into this show.

The first thing Julie noticed once the guys became tangible was that they still didn't really have a scent. They didn't really need to shower or wear deodorant, but they all wanted to, especially Reggie, so she used some of the cut from their gigs to buy them supplies. However no matter how long the bassist took to shower, Julie never got more than a whiff of petrichor off him. 

Their clothes, however, told a whole other story. Twenty five years of being balled up in a garbage bag made their clothes absolutely stink. Julie did so many loads of laundry, and 'lost' some unsalvageable items. They also hit up vintage stores, and soon they no longer reeked to Los Feliz High and back. 

Yet one item eluded Julie in her quest for clean clothes; Reggie's leather jacket. It never really left his body, and when it did, Luke was usually wearing it, having confessed that the bassist had put him up to guarding it, lest it become 'lost' as well. 

"I'm not going to throw it away, simply clean it!" Julie protested. "Leather is something that needs to be cleaned regularly, and that jacket probably smells from constant wear." 

"Yeah but it smells like Reg." Luke said, a small smile on his face before burying his nose in the collar. "It means a lot to him, smell or not."

"But why?"

"Because it was the first thing I bought out of my own money." Reggie said, a waft of steam billowing behind him from the small bathroom, rubbing a towel through his hair, clothes clinging to his still damp skin. 

He held out his hand for the jacket, Luke handing it over, a silent conversation happening between them. Julie smiled, loving the closeness between them, it reminded her of herself and Flynn. Eventually Luke got up, moseying towards the bathroom. Reggie still held the jacket in his hands, looking at it intently before meeting Julie's eyes. 

"Growing up, my family didn't have a lot. My dad was in and out of jobs depending on how far he was in the bottle, mom stayed home, but was never really there you know?" Reggie sighed. "It wasn't great, but it was home kind of thing. Anyways, I always wanted a leather jacket, which seemed like this symbol of coolness to a kid. But that was an expense that my parents never saw the point in. If I wanted it, I had to get the money myself."

He took a breath before continuing, "I thought about using the old five finger discount, but Alex talked me out of it. Had a cousin who went to juvie, would not recommend it. So I did whatever I could; washed dishes, walked dogs, spun signs. Whatever place that would pay a teenager under the table, I worked there. The guys also gave me a little for my birthday, so eventually it was within my grasp."

"I was so proud to walk into that store, knew which one I wanted and everything. Of course, stupid kid that I was, forgot about the sales tax." Reggie chuckled a little at that. "The guy who owned the store, Mr. Muto, agreed to let me work it off, helping out at the store that weekend. By Sunday night I walked out of there with an afterschool job and a new jacket. I quit when we started booking gigs, but Mr. Muto came to all of them. Helped me add the details to the back, he was a great guy. Retired and in Florida now probably, but I'll always remember how much he did for me."

Reggie hugged the jacket to himself, smiling a little before handing it to Julie. "But it really does stink, and now it has eau de Luke, so feel free to wash it." 

"You love my stink Peters!" Luke called from the bathroom. Julie giggled, Reggie joining her, the both of them still going when Luke emerged from the shower staring at them like they were crazy. He did notice that Julie was now wearing the leather jacket though, and he wondered how the bassist felt about it now smelling like 3/4ths of the band, but given his fond smile as Julie's laughter died down, he didn't think Reg minded at all.

~

Out of all the guys, Alex was the best at respecting Julie's boundaries. He always knocked instead of poofing in her room, didn't go through her things unless asked and always turned away if she needed to change. Even if Julie suspected that last one was as much for him as it was for her. 

Today was such an example, he had come in to gush about his not a date with Willie the night prior as she was getting ready for school. 

"Hey Alex can you pass me my necklaces please?" Julie asked, pulling her hair into two thick braids. 

Alex knew immediately which chains to reach for, as she always wore the same ones. There was the crescent moon choker she received from her parents at her quinceanera, something he was sure had used to belong to her mom. He was sure if he looked at pictures of the Molina's in their youth he would see Rose sporting the necklace. He was also sure Julie would be the spitting image of her. 

Then there was her name necklace, complete with a dahlia. Julie said it had been a birthday gift from Flynn when she turned thirteen. Julie giggled as she recounted how hard the other girl had to look to find one that said Julie as opposed to Julia or Juliet. The dahlia was an added bonus, she claimed that was just random happenstance. Alex bet if he asked Flynn she would confess she had the piece custom made, and didn't want Julie to freak out over the expense. 

The last chain was the longest, and the one Alex saw Julie leave out of her outfits the most. The pendant on the end was of the Virgin Mary, a christening gift from Julie's abuela. Julie and he had quite a few conversations about religion, him breaking down at his conflicted feelings regarding the church. It had been his life when he was younger, but as he grew and realized that he was gay he couldn’t ignore how some, including his parents used their faith to hate those who were different instead of loving them like they had been taught. It soured him on the whole institution, and couldn’t really align himself with any beliefs, what with his afterlife being very different from what he was expecting. 

Alex handed over all the necklaces, then began fiddling with his own ever present gold chain. Julie had asked about it once, but he hadn’t been ready to talk about it then. He didn’t think he ever would, honestly. Because the necklace had been the last gift his parents had ever given him before he came out. It had once held a gold cross, something simple but expensive to celebrate his thirteenth birthday. 

Not many teenage boys would have been stoked about jewellery as a big birthday gift, but Alex had loved the necklace. It signified him becoming an adult in the eyes of the church, in the eyes of his parents. Little did he know less than a year later they would say he was no son of theirs, and four years later he literally wouldn’t be. Alex wondered if they’d mourned him, or if they thought of his death as a blessing so they wouldn’t have to live with the shame of having a gay son. He hadn’t gone to look for them, unlike Luke who visited his parents often, or Reggie who apparently had found out where his folks were but refused to discuss it further. Alex decided it didn’t matter; as Julie twirled around to get his assessment of her outfit, he and the boys had all the family they needed right there.

~

Every artist seemed to have their own good luck charm or show day ritual, and the Phantoms were no exception. Julie got Alex into yoga to help with his show day anxiety, and sometimes joined him. Reggie joined them once but he was so uncoordinated, stumbling and falling everywhere that they ended up collapsing into giggles. Reggie was smiling the whole time, and Julie could see that Alex was certainly more relaxed now. 

Reggie usually ate before a show, but since the boys couldn't really indulge in food anymore, he decided he would help Ray in the kitchen. Reggie turned out to be a talented sous chef, and once Ray got used to having a ghost helping him chop and mince, he was happy for the help. Now that the guys were also visible and tangible, Reg actually got to bond with Ray, blooming under the fatherly attention he had been denied since childhood. Ray for his part, adored having someone to trade dad jokes with and who eagerly listened to his camera talk. 

Luke was the wild card. Some days he was bouncing around the studio, every so often stopping to scribble a line in his notebook or test out a riff. Other times he looked in right before a show, his expression a bit vacant, meaning he had been to visit his parents. Since they became more 'alive' he had avoided being seen by them, still unsure of how to explain his ghostly status to them. 

However, without fail, Luke would always take a time to accessorize. His various chains, charms, and wallet hung off his waist. Every few shows he hung the heavy stone pendant necklace Alex and Reggie bought him around his neck. Usually a beanie covered the mess of curls and cowlicks he called a hairstyle. 

However, without fail, he always looped his scarf somewhere around his person. It either graced his back pocket or was tied around his bicep. Julie never saw him without it, and she never had to ask him where it came from. She knew it was his mother's. One day she saw him fiddling with it and sat silently besides him, waiting for him to open up. 

"I gave it to her as a Mother's Day gift when I was seven. When I…" Luke took a breath, running the scarf through his fingers. "...left, it was mixed up in the laundry in my room. Stuck to one of my shirts, and I just grabbed the pile without checking. Found it days later, but I knew if I returned it, I'd probably go home and give into giving up music. So I just...kept it. Kept a piece of my mom with me. I hope that's how she thought of it anyways, when she figured out it was missing."

"Do you ever think about...telling them? I'm surprised the hype about our band hasn't reached them yet, someone noticing how much you look like their son or something." Julie asked, holding his hand in hers. 

Luke rubbed his other hand over his face, then through his hair. "I think they would be hurt that I took so long to reach out. That I didn't find some way to...let them know I'm still here, that I love them, no matter what."

Julie wrapped an arm around him, pressing a slight kiss to his cheek. "I think they know that, especially after I gave them your song. But it's up to you if you see them. I just think you'll regret it if you don't, and your afterlife has been already so full of those already." 

Luke looked at her with red rimmed eyes, but a smile graced his lips. "Thanks boss. Maybe one day...and then I can sing Unsaid Emily for them. I think they'd like that." 

Julie smiled, and kissed his forehead. "I think you're right. Now come on, we have a band circle to do and a show to pull off. Let's go." She held out her hand to him, and pulled him towards where Reggie and Alex were waiting, smiling as their clasped hands. She grabbed them as well, pulling her boys in for a hug. 

"Legends on three?"

"One."

"Two."

"Three."

"Legends!"


End file.
